Judges 5:14

Amalek Benjamin Ephraim Machir Zebulun

¹² ‘Awake, awake, O Deborah! Awake, awake, sing a song! Arise, O Barak, and take hold of your captives, O son of Abinoam!’

¹³ Then the survivors came down to the nobles; the people of the LORD came down to me against the mighty.

Some came from Ephraim, with their roots in Amalek; Benjamin came with your people after you. The commanders came down from Machir, the bearers of the marshal’s staff from Zebulun.

¹⁵ The princes of Issachar were with Deborah, and Issachar was with Barak, rushing into the valley at his heels. In the clans of Reuben there was great indecision.

¹⁶ Why did you sit among the sheepfolds to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the clans of Reuben there was great indecision.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Some came from Ephraim, with their roots in Amalek; Benjamin came with your people after you. The commanders came down from Machir, the bearers of the marshal’s staff from Zebulun.
KJV: Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy people; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer.
WEB: Those whose root is in Amalek came out of Ephraim, after you, Benjamin, among your peoples. Governors come down out of Machir. Those who handle the marshal’s staff came out of Zebulun.
ASV: Out of Ephraim [came down] they whose root is in Amalek; After thee, Benjamin, among thy peoples; Out of Machir came down governors, And out of Zebulun they that handle the marshal`s staff.
DARBY: Out of Ephraim [came] those whose root was in Amalek; After thee was Benjamin among thy peoples. Out of Machir came down governors, And out of Zebulun they that handled the staff of the ruler.
BLB: From Ephraim their root [is] in Amalek, after you Benjamin, with your peoples. From Machir came down commanders, and from Zebulun those drawing with the staff of a scribe.

ÅB: Av Efra'im steg de ned, de som har sin rot på Amaleks fjell; etter deg kom Benjamin blant dine folk; av Makir steg høvdinger ned, og av Sebulon de som drar fram med hærførerstav,
OTB: Fra Efraim, hvis røtter var i Amalek,
kom de ned; etter deg, Benjamin,
med ditt folk. Fra Makir kom ledere ned,
og fra Sebulon de som bærer embetsstaven.
B1930: Av Efra'im steg de ned, de som har sin rot på Amaleks fjell; efter dig kom Benjamin blandt dine folk; av Makir steg høvdinger ned, og av Sebulon de som drar frem med hærførerstav,

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Numbers 32:39–40
The descendants of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it, and drove out the Amorites who were there.
Read in context
Judges 3:13
After enlisting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join forces with him, Eglon attacked and defeated Israel, taking possession of the City of Palms.
Read in context
Judges 12:15
Then Abdon son of Hillel, from Pirathon, died, and he was buried at Pirathon in Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.
Read in context
Judges 3:27
On arriving in Seirah, he blew the ram’s horn throughout the hill country of Ephraim. The Israelites came down with him from the hills, and he became their leader.
Read in context
Judges 4:10
where he summoned Zebulun and Naphtali. Ten thousand men followed him, and Deborah also went with him.
Read in context
Judges 4:14
Then Deborah said to Barak, “Arise, for this is the day that the LORD has delivered Sisera into your hand. Has not the LORD gone before you?” So Barak came down from Mount Tabor with ten thousand men following him.
Read in context
Judges 4:5–6
And she would sit under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, where the Israelites would go up to her for judgment.
Read in context
Exodus 17:8–16
After this, the Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim.
Read in context